Ismael Saibari had everything going against him and could have been out of football before even starting. Anderlecht rejected him just before preseason because, according to them, he was overweight. Anyone else would have given up. He did not. 🇲🇦
He went through Mechelen, Genk and ended up in PSV’s youth ranks in 2019, after they saw him shine in the Youth League. In 2023, he was a key player when Morocco were crowned champions of the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations. And when Roberto Martínez, Belgium’s own national team coach, called him to play for the country where he developed, Saibari said no. He chose his Moroccan roots over comfort.
That decision led him to play in the 2026 World Cup with Morocco and become one of its biggest stars, which led to him signing for Bayern Múnich. The same body that a club considered a problem now takes him to the Bundesliga and the biggest pitches on the planet. 💪